


Sleeping Beauty

by brunchywrites



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Be prepared for soft Keith later on if that's not your cup of tea, Because i didn't like the ending, Engaged Jaith, I mean it's basically a modern au but.. yeah, Jeith - Freeform, M/M, Minor Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Post s8 but an au, Shiro is a good elder figure, Whatever you call it, and because this fic doesn't work with that ending, boom - Freeform, i forgot to include curtis, idk i love him sorry for ppl who're salty still, jaith - Freeform, oh well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-27 14:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17163965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brunchywrites/pseuds/brunchywrites
Summary: Nothing could prepare Keith for his fiance to fall out and never wake up againMaybe James will wake upMaybe he won'tEither way, Keith has to cope somewhere, and have faith that one day his Sleeping Beauty will wake up.





	1. The Beauty

James didn’t know what had happened, one second he was standing in the shower and the next he heard the door he had purposefully locked being kicked open. He didn’t bother to move, not like he couldn’t. Between the pain and the ringing in his ears he wasn’t sure if he could move a single bone in his body.  
  
He half registered that it was Keith who had kicked the door down, the same Keith that was turning the water off and slowly scooping him out of the bathtub. 

  
Keith used to struggle to lift him.  
  
He was set on the edge of the toilet and that was when the static in his ears finally faded away and he could actually hear what Keith was telling him. James sighed softly and let his head drop down, only for it to be lifted by his fiance’s gentle fingers.   
  
“You fell in the shower,” Keith’s voice was firm as he reached for the medical kit above the sink, “You might have a concussion- how did you just-”   
  
“I dunno,” James croaked, looking down at himself. He was still naked but he couldn’t bring himself to care. His face was tilted up again, and he looked up at the yellow bathroom light.   
  
“You’re bleeding,” Keith was muttering under his breath.  
  
“Sorry.”  
  
Keith sighed and ran a swab over his eyebrow, “I’m worried about how much you’ve been sleeping lately, seriously. If I wasn’t here you could’ve gotten hurt even worse than this little cut, or even drowned.”  
  
“Are you.. Mad at me?” James was barely able to meet Keith’s eyes, his ears were ringing again and he felt almost like he was about to throw up or fall asleep.   
  
The last thing he remembered was Keith’s arms around him, gripping his shoulders tight and warm. 


	2. Lunch Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally does something that isn't waiting at his fiance's bedside, it's more fun than he would care to admit.

  
  
“It’s been about a month since the incident,” Keith swallows down a sip of water as he talks. He hasn’t talked about James in front of people that aren’t doctors since it happened, and talking with Shiro is refreshing.    
  
“And what have the doctors said about it?”  
  
He sighs through his nose and twists his straw in his cup, not quite looking at Shiro as he starts to talk about it.   
  
“They don’t know what’s wrong with him, I should’ve- I should’ve made him go to a doctor when he was starting to sleep more and more. I just thought that he was tired, y’know? Sometimes he wasn’t sleeping at night.”   
  
“So he made up for lost sleep, or so it seemed?” Shiro interrupts, tapping Keith’s plate to remind him that he does indeed have food there.   
  
“Yeah,” Keith forks a bite of macaroni onto his fork and stuffs it in his mouth. It practically has no flavor, and he swallows after only chewing twice. “That’s what it seemed like but he started sleeping more, like.. It was hard to get him to go anywhere that wasn’t work. I should’ve made him go then but I thought that it’d resolve itself. He always told me he was working on it.”  
  
He takes another bite of mac and cheese, covering his eyes with his hand for a second while he thinks of what else to say. It’s hard to talk about it, everytime he even thinks about James he just sees his curled up form in the bathtub, water cascading down his body and blood straining it pink.   
  
“Hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, seriously. I just wanted to give you some company I know it’s hard for you right now, you.. You really shouldn’t be alone.”   
  
“No, I want to talk about it. I just haven’t been able to talk about it with anyone other than doctors who just want to theorize what’s wrong with him. They found an issue with his thyroid but that shouldn’t make his body just shut down,” he can remember James’ weight against him when he fell out, and the way his hair tickled his neck. “And they don’t know if he’ll ever wake up, they don’t even know what’s wrong with him and they’re playing with medications and vitamins.I told them no on a major surgery on his thyroid because it’s so invasive. It’s- It’s like they look at James and they just see someone that when they cure him, they could cure other people. He’s a stepping stone in their careers.”   
  
His hands curl into fists as he talks, it feels exceptionally good to finally get all of this off his chest without being told he’s wrong, “And the last thing he asked me was if I was mad at him, he thought I was mad at him and that was,” he has to take a breath as he feels tears starting to sting at his eyes. It hurts, thinking about how the last thing James ever felt before he fell out was that Keith was mad at him. It makes him feel hollow, an unsettling ache staying in his chest if he thinks about it for too long, “That was the last thing he felt before he fell out- he.. He can’t hear me, he can’t hear me apologize or say I love you.”  
  
Keith puts his entire face in his hand, struggling to take deep enough breaths to keep himself from crying too much, “His last thoughts were focused on how he thought he was mad at me, and now I can’t even apologize or tell him that it wasn’t his fault. None of this was his fault, we.. how could he know his sleeping was life threatening? Who the fuck falls asleep and never wakes up but their heart is still beating? He’s still alive, he’s like..” 

 

“A sleeping beauty?” Shiro raises his eyebrows at him, “I know that this has to suck but you know this isn’t your fault, right? It sounds like you’re trying to put all of this on yourself, and you shouldn’t. This is a lot of stress, and you don’t have to take it alone. I’m here for you if you need to talk, you know I always am.”    
  
“I know you are I just wanted to handle this by myself I guess. When I had to tell James’ friends what happened it was just a lot. Thanks for letting me talk now though. You have no idea how much it means to me,” he’s forking more macaroni into his mouth as he talks, sipping on water as he looks up at Shiro. “But please, I need a break from all of this. How has it been with you and Curtis?

Shiro smiles at the question and leans back in the booth, finally pushing up his glasses. A solid five years and Shiro had to get glasses, it was a funny turn of events that Keith never expected. Nonetheless, it’s obvious Shiro is thinking hard, or rather getting lost in thought.   
  
“Curtis and I are doing great,” he finishes, laughing a little as he drinks from his own glass of water. “Nothing’s really different, we’ve been working on getting a new house you know. We’re looking for something out in the country, something we can fix up together and really make our own.”   
  
“Why in the country?” Keith’s eating again, despite the fact that his food has gotten cold. It’s the first time he’s had an actual meal in weeks and it’s great either way.    
  
“Because it’s quieter, and more relaxing. We’re thinking about starting a small farm which makes it even better. Right now we’re watching property and we found the best fixer upper to ever exist, the roof is falling apart and everything, it’s great.”   
  
Keith snorts, “Only you can look at a messed up house and think it’s amazing.”   
  
“Well, some of us can see the end product before we start.” Shiro kicks him from under the table and Keith kicks back.   
  
“Whatever, just invite me when you have your housewarming party and I’ll be sure to bring you guys the ugliest flowers I’ve ever seen.”   
  
“I can’t promise that they won’t become compost in the near future.”   
  
Keith sticks his tongue out at him, “Lame.”   
  
They finish their meal steadily, making offhand comments about the future and making fun of each other the entire time. It’s the break that Keith feels like he’s needed for a long time. Shiro has always been good at filling awkward space with his words and making everything feel right.   
  
He can almost forget that James is still in the hospital, waiting to be woken up.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's chapter two, out really fast because half of it was written last night. So the thing with me is that I write until I can't write anymore, so my schedule for uploading is ten times out of wack. i do have a weak outline for this fic though, so I want to finish it sometime in Febuary? Probably, but the chapters are really weird, don't @ me. 
> 
> The next chapter is gonna be a halfflashback aka shorter than this one because I find that when I alternate lengths and ideas, I can produce more regularly. 
> 
> it's wack, i know
> 
> thanks for reading this chapter, if you enjoyed it please leave a comment about what you liked about it because I need validation haha. 
> 
> I'll probably post again tomorrow or tonight because I'm really.. enjoying writing this. 
> 
> (also I don't edit anything so there's a warning)


	3. The couch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The little flashback I promised

James was leaning heavily against Keith’s shoulder, cheek resting against him as they looked at couches. His cheek rubbed against him and he looked at the couches with a keen eye. Keith could watch him forever.   
  
“It’s all too bland, look-” He made a vague gesture, “It’s all browns, blacks, and whites. Maybe occasionally a navy. It’s all boring, leather, corduroy,” he took a dramatic breath in, “It’s horrible, an absolute atrocity.”   
  
“James-”   
  


“What? I like jewel tones. These are all so.. Ugly. Who would want to spend their time on a piece of black leather versus, I don’t know… Emerald Green velvet?”   
  
He pulled himself off of Keith’s shoulder and Keith watched him weave through what felt like a maze of couches, and of course, he followed him.

 

They were looking for the first pieces of furniture for their apartment, and James had complained almost the entire time. Keith didn’t think his tastes were ever so specific, but they were three hours into couch hunting and this was the first time James seemed to have his eye on something.   
  
He dodged a passing family and weaved between the tightest spot in existence to catch up with him, and when he finally did he caught James laying across something exquisite.   
  
The couch was a gorgeous color, a deep purple, adorned with crystals on the side. It was beautiful, and James looked even more beautiful while posing on top of it.   
  
“Paint me like one of your French girls, Keith,” James tilted his head back and flashed him a dazzling smile, crossing one leg over the other and winking.   
  
Keith snorted through his nose and stepped over to him.   
  
“Unfortunately you’re more like a Greek god, and those don’t get painted,” he kissed his forehead, then his cheek. Keith smiled and looked into James’ eyes, “They get sculpted.”   
  
“Ew, that was super cheesy,” James pushed his face away from him but Keith persisted until he was sitting on the couch with him.   
  
It was comfortable, really. It felt like Keith was sitting on a firm pillow. He didn’t quite sink in but it certainly didn’t feel like he was sitting on a board either.    
  
He must have looked surprised because James nudged him with his foot and said, “Comfortable, right?”   
  
“Yeah, you did a good job picking this out. Is this what you want for our couch?”   
  
James patted the arm, “Oh.. it’s everything I could’ve dreamed of, the color, the velvet, it’s perfection next to you.”   
  
“Who’s cheesy now?”    
  
“Shut it,” James pushed himself up and put his hands on his hips, looking back down at Keith. “We gotta buy this bad boy, get up.”  
  
“Make me,” Keith smiled up at him, holding his arms out for James to literally get him up off the couch.   
  
James rolled his eyes, and lifted Keith up from the armpits, “Lazy ass.”   
  
“You know it.”   
  
Keith wrapped his arm around James’ waist and pulled him in close to his side, “But now we have a couch so we can both be lazy asses together.”   
  
“Exactly. Now let’s go make this couch ours!”   
  



	4. A visit and friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been Four Months since James was admitted into the hospital and Keith highlights one of his visits.

Keith doesn’t like visiting James as often as he probably should be. Most days it’s hard to come and see him, to just sit down next to his bed and listen to the machines intensive beeping.    
  
He feels bad for it, if he thinks too long he starts to feel immensely guilty. James is trapped in some sort of unconscious state, and Keith can’t bother to stop by more than once a week, sometimes even less than that.   
  
He adjusts the way his shirt clings to him as he walks into the hospital room, a bouquet of flowers clenched in his right hand. He always tries to bring James flowers when he visits, a little something to brighten up the white walls. In case James wakes up he’ll be surrounded by beautiful things, that’s Keith’s theory.   
  
“Good morning,” he says, adjusting the dim light in the room to be at it’s full brightness.   
  
The machines beep back at him in a steady rhythm, and he smiles to himself as he replaces the wilting flowers next to the bedside with the new ones that he brought.  He smooths over the carnations with his thumb. Keith tries to bring new flowers every time, the last visit he brought lilies, so he figured carnations would be a better pick.   
  
They’re bright and happy. Their colors make the room pop amongst the various get well soon cards and half empty balloons. Orange, pinks, and yellows against blank hospital walls.   
  
Keith looks at James as he walks to his bedside, “It looks like they finally took the oxygen mask off of you, now you just have the tubes. I’m glad, it means you’re probably getting better.. Right?” He pulls the side stool close to him and sits down, crossing one leg over the other. He doesn’t take his eyes off of James though. In the past few months that James has been in the hospital he can see how his body is changing.   
  
He’s much thinner than he was before he got sick, as is his hair. His hair is longer and it hangs past his chin in looser waves. Keith always wondered what he would look like if he let his hair grow out. James used to complain if his hair so much as brushed past his ears. It was a fantasy he never got to see-  
  
At least see with James making the choice for himself.    
  
Keith takes one of James’ hands into his own and starts talking,  
  
“It’s been four months since you came to the hospital,” he keeps his voice a little lower as he talks to him. He likes to keep James updated, after all, the doctors think he can hear what’s going on around him.   
  
“I cleaned up the apartment last weekend, you’d be amazed at how messy I was able to make it by myself. Well, you probably aren’t amazed- but it’s all clean now. I even scrubbed the baseboards and washed all of the dishes in the sink. I’ve also gotten a lot better at cooking, gone are the days of ramen noodles and cheap takeout,” he finds himself smiling as he talks. He can picture how James might respond, he can see how his eyebrow would raise as he hid a chuckle behind his wrist.   
  
  
“You’re still better at figuring out which spices go together to make bland things taste better, I really miss the way you cook. When you wake up I think it’d be really nice if we cooked a nice meal together, maybe even go as far as to make our own bread. It’d be a lot of fun.”   
  
He looks at James and smiles again. He can’t help it, even in his sleep, James is beautiful and always has been.    
  
“Enough about me, a little update about you. I should’ve asked your doctor why they changed your oxygen mask for the tubes, but they did. It’s nice to see the entirety of your face again and it’s a lot less jarring to see you now. You look more like a person now. I hope they took the mask off because you’re starting to make steps back to consciousness I…” He has to swallow down the lump that’s building in his throat as he talks. “I want nothing more than to hear your voice again.”   
  
“So keep fighting, okay? Fight for us,” he gets up from the chair and moves James’ hair off his face before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be back on Saturday to see you again.”   
  
He tucks the chair back to where it was before he came in and walks towards the door, looking at James one last time before he dims the lights back down.   
  
“See you soon, sweetheart, stay strong.”    
  
He closes the door behind him and sighs to himself. It’s always hard to visit James, sometimes he swears that James might just make a comment- or maybe if he says something stupid enough James will wake up from his slumber only to ask him what the hell he was talking about.    
  
Keith has a lot of hopes, a lot of dreams, and all of them are about James. He feels like he’s trapped in a cycle of waiting in hope, and then sadness when James wouldn’t wake up. Life isn’t a fairytale, that’s a fact Keith has always known well. For once he wishes that it is, and that if he hopes hard enough his fiance will wake up for him so they can live happily ever after.   
  
+++   
  
He invites Hunk over for dinner when he gets home. They both agree on pad thai and a cheesy movie, it’s a nice distraction.   
  
Keith twirls the noodles around his fork and stuffs it into his mouth, chewing slowly as he watches the t.v. They’ve been watching Home Alone since they got the food and he hasn’t really been paying attention. He’s sure Hunk hasn’t paid attention either, but that’s okay.   
  
He’s about to start twirling his fork in the noodles again when Hunk speaks up.   
  
“So how has everything been going for you? I uh, noticed that you’re finally eating again, that’s good.”   
  
“Ugh, more like can’t stop eating, you have no idea,” he rolls his eyes and takes another bite of food despite himself.   
  
Hunk snorts, “Hey man, we all cope in different ways, yours just happens to be food. You can’t be mad with that, food’s great.”  
  
“Yeah, I mean- it’d be a lot better if it wasn’t like.. Obvious that it’s basically all I’ve been doing since James got in the hospital, sleeping, eating, or cooking.. More cooking now but..” He looks down at himself because he knows it shows. He’s not blind, and without a scale he can still tell that he’s gotten rather pudgy lately. His clothes cling a little weirdly to him and his face is softer.   
  
“It’s not really a bad thing, you know that right?”  
  
Keith looks back up at Hunk and smiles, “I know it’s not a bad thing, it’s just different. I’ll probably work more on eating healthier in general, four months of takeout isn’t good for anyone.. Besides, I promised James that I was gonna cook more.”   
  
Hunk grins right back, “Man, that’s awesome. What do you want to try cooking?”    
  
“I don’t know where to begin..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long haha, work got crazyyy
> 
> please comment if you enjoyed this! i love them and they're crazy validating
> 
> thanksss for reading!!!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> alright so the first chapter is short because it's told strictly in James' perspective and as the summary suggests- he's gonna be asleep for almost the rest of the fic. 
> 
> if you enjoyed this please leave a comment and tell me what you liked about it because i need validation. 
> 
> also by soft keith i mean: Keith eats to cope. let that take your brain where it needs to be b4 you leave a freaky comment.


End file.
